Read Online A Division of Souls - A Novel of the Mendaihu Universe by Jon Chaisson - Free Book Online
Authors: Jon Chaisson
Tags: Science-Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Alien Contact, alien life, spiritual enlightenment, future fantasy, urban sprawl, spiritual fiction fantasy
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upon her very
essence. She bit her lip, hoping Poe hadn't noticed. Again she
thought of the image of her parents, both Mendaihu of blood and
deed, watching over her…and the image of their violent and
pointless deaths. All in the name of spiritual balance. A delicate
balance that was now in question once again. Almost like
clockwork.
“Then in response...then the Shenaihu...”
She found she couldn't even finish the sentence.
“We need Vigil,” he said, his voice low.
She frowned and nodded in agreement.
*
In his humble day job, Matthew Davison was a
young and brilliant communications tech programmer for KJS
Corporation, and part of the team that had created the
now-ubiquitous vidmat technology. He was highly sought after for
his stellar commtech skills and he had high-level contacts both in
business and government, all of whom admired his work. He was
intelligent and empathetic, ready to lend a hand to client and
coworker alike. He was dedicated and driven. Many considered him a
mirror-image of his father, the late, revered Provincial Senator
Gregory Davison.
Off the clock however, he was the most
feared digital anarchist in the Sprawl.
He was part of a movement of
political-minded anarchy jackers and whistleblowers whose main goal
was to tear apart the inner workings of the overly capitalistic
Bridgetown corporations with the sole purpose of keeping the
playing field even for all involved — including the consumer. His
forte was the leakage of sensitive information, specifically the
exposure of undocumented dealings and noncompliance. If they
ignored Vigil’s attacks, Matthew and his team would pile it on all
the more — they were relentless. The corporation would have no
other choice but to realign. Matthew’s attacks were brilliant and
bloodless. Never enough to cause mass economic damage…but just
enough to keep analysts on their toes.
The number of insiders and accomplices he
had contact with was unbelievably large. Matthew was the leader of
Vigil, and he was Poe’s most reliable street source. The only
reason Poe had never turned him in was that he was more valuable to
everyone behind the scenes than he was behind bars. And besides,
Matthew had technically never broken an existing law.
Vigil based their mainland operations in a
nondescript former hotel remodeled into condominiums and offices.
The four-story building, a few blocks from Branden Hill Park, was
in good structural condition though the outside needed a lot of
work…there were chips in the faded brick and the façade was in bad
need of a fresh coat of paint. Many of the windows were grimy and
covered by disheveled blinds. The lobby was poorly lit and held a
strange pungent odor that no one could ever quite place. Still, the
place looked livable and not entirely derelict. This was exactly
how Vigil wanted it — unassuming and maybe even a bit off-putting,
but not to the point of decrepitude. They also controlled the
security systems of all the surrounding buildings and made no
attempt at hiding those facts. Their territory could not be
infiltrated without the group knowing.
The foyer elevator appeared moments after
their arrival, its scratched and dented doors opening with a low
scrape against its runners, and they entered. The car gave with a
loud and unsettling jolt as it started its ascension. Though they
were only going up three floors, it took much longer than it should
have, and when the doors opened, it deposited them in a dimly lit
and musty hallway. No numbers or nameplates graced any of the
doors. Only one door, far down the end, stood slightly ajar with
light spilling out of it, the one inviting place in the entire
building.
Matthew stood in the doorway of that
farthest apartment, waiting with arms crossed and staring lazily at
the floor. There was no greeting, nor was there animosity. He just
stood there with a strange calmness, as if he’d had a lifetime’s
practice at it. Caren always felt a little uncomfortable
essence. She bit her lip, hoping Poe hadn't noticed. Again she
thought of the image of her parents, both Mendaihu of blood and
deed, watching over her…and the image of their violent and
pointless deaths. All in the name of spiritual balance. A delicate
balance that was now in question once again. Almost like
clockwork.
“Then in response...then the Shenaihu...”
She found she couldn't even finish the sentence.
“We need Vigil,” he said, his voice low.
She frowned and nodded in agreement.
*
In his humble day job, Matthew Davison was a
young and brilliant communications tech programmer for KJS
Corporation, and part of the team that had created the
now-ubiquitous vidmat technology. He was highly sought after for
his stellar commtech skills and he had high-level contacts both in
business and government, all of whom admired his work. He was
intelligent and empathetic, ready to lend a hand to client and
coworker alike. He was dedicated and driven. Many considered him a
mirror-image of his father, the late, revered Provincial Senator
Gregory Davison.
Off the clock however, he was the most
feared digital anarchist in the Sprawl.
He was part of a movement of
political-minded anarchy jackers and whistleblowers whose main goal
was to tear apart the inner workings of the overly capitalistic
Bridgetown corporations with the sole purpose of keeping the
playing field even for all involved — including the consumer. His
forte was the leakage of sensitive information, specifically the
exposure of undocumented dealings and noncompliance. If they
ignored Vigil’s attacks, Matthew and his team would pile it on all
the more — they were relentless. The corporation would have no
other choice but to realign. Matthew’s attacks were brilliant and
bloodless. Never enough to cause mass economic damage…but just
enough to keep analysts on their toes.
The number of insiders and accomplices he
had contact with was unbelievably large. Matthew was the leader of
Vigil, and he was Poe’s most reliable street source. The only
reason Poe had never turned him in was that he was more valuable to
everyone behind the scenes than he was behind bars. And besides,
Matthew had technically never broken an existing law.
Vigil based their mainland operations in a
nondescript former hotel remodeled into condominiums and offices.
The four-story building, a few blocks from Branden Hill Park, was
in good structural condition though the outside needed a lot of
work…there were chips in the faded brick and the façade was in bad
need of a fresh coat of paint. Many of the windows were grimy and
covered by disheveled blinds. The lobby was poorly lit and held a
strange pungent odor that no one could ever quite place. Still, the
place looked livable and not entirely derelict. This was exactly
how Vigil wanted it — unassuming and maybe even a bit off-putting,
but not to the point of decrepitude. They also controlled the
security systems of all the surrounding buildings and made no
attempt at hiding those facts. Their territory could not be
infiltrated without the group knowing.
The foyer elevator appeared moments after
their arrival, its scratched and dented doors opening with a low
scrape against its runners, and they entered. The car gave with a
loud and unsettling jolt as it started its ascension. Though they
were only going up three floors, it took much longer than it should
have, and when the doors opened, it deposited them in a dimly lit
and musty hallway. No numbers or nameplates graced any of the
doors. Only one door, far down the end, stood slightly ajar with
light spilling out of it, the one inviting place in the entire
building.
Matthew stood in the doorway of that
farthest apartment, waiting with arms crossed and staring lazily at
the floor. There was no greeting, nor was there animosity. He just
stood there with a strange calmness, as if he’d had a lifetime’s
practice at it. Caren always felt a little uncomfortable
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